Companies seeking qualified employees met nearly 800 job seekers at GIA’s recent Jewelry Career Fair. The event was held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York on July 28.

Recruiters from 44 companies, including Tiffany & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, Fortunoff, Movado Group, Zale Corp., and Shah Diamonds gathered to seek out qualified applicants, GIA said.

Participants took advantage of one-on-one coaching sessions and seminars offering advice from industry leaders. Guest speaker, Ben Janowski, president of The Janos Group, Ltd., advised attendees to harness their skills and create awareness of their talent.

“Innovation in jewelry is difficult. Judge your own talents critically and always seek ways to expand knowledge and skills,” he said. “Take the time to learn from your mistakes and remember, you cannot think the same as yesterday – the world moves too fast.”

Kathryn Kimmel, GIA’s vice president of Marketing and Public Relations and founder of Career Fair, said the event is successful because of the quality of the candidates and the number of recruiters who participate each year.

On the West Coast, GIA Career Fair will be held in Carlsbad, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Career Fair was founded in 1991 by GIA and The Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California. The VNU Jewelry Group is prime sponsor for the New York Career Fair. The JCK International Publishing Group and The Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California are prime sponsors for the Carlsbad Career Fair.

Employers interested in recruiting at the Carlsbad event can contact GIA’s Career Services office at 800-421-7250, ext. 4195 or e-mail Career Services Manager Kimberly Northup at kimberly.northup@gia.edu. Job seekers can visit careerfair.gia.edu or call 800-421-7250, ext. 4100, or e-mail Career Fair at careerfair@gia.edu for more information.

JCK